


gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin'

by kinwinchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday Fluff, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Dean Winchester's Birthday, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Gen, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Short One Shot, this is a fuck you to 15x20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28977135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinwinchester/pseuds/kinwinchester
Summary: Dean and Sam have a conversation on Dean's 42nd birthday.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury/Stevie (Supernatural: The Rupture), Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak
Comments: 12
Kudos: 30





	gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin'

**Author's Note:**

> What can I say, I miss Dean Winchester and I'd like to believe in the Supernatural in my head (not the one where they are puppets) he's having a happy birthday.
> 
> Special shout out to my [beta reader](https://archiveofourown.org/users/2014castiel).

“Do you ever…” Dean pauses to take a sip of his beer, laughter coming from inside the bunker. “Good Vibrations” seems to be playing loudly and Dean can’t help but smile slightly as he leans against the Impala. 

“Do I ever what?” Sam questions. He’s paused in the doorway of the garage, holding a large cooler. Probably for the party— _Dean’s_ party. 

His 42nd birthday. 

He lets out a chuckle at that before answering Sam’s question. “Do you ever think about how things would be like… if they were normal?” 

Sam’s eyebrows furrow and he places the cooler down. “Normal? Like… a wife and kids? For you? I mean plenty of men are married to other men and it's completely normal, Dean.” He reaches over placing a hand on Dean's shoulder with that classic sympathetic puppy dog look on his face. 

“No, dumbass,” Dean says with an exasperated eye roll. “I meant, like, if you and me weren't hunters, ya know? Like, raised in the suburban fantasy and Cas was just a boy next door and Eileen was your date to the prom,” he explains. The beer in his hand has heated up by now, leaving precipitation on his palm, an accurate statement to his well being; he feels like a sweaty kid asking too many questions. 

Sam takes a moment to answer, really taking in Dean’s words. 

“Sometimes,” he replies. “I don't know if it would make life any easier, though.” 

“‘Course. I'm not an idiot, Sammy, just cause I didn’t go to Stanford like you,” Dean leans over, rapping his fingers against Sam’s temple. Sam pulls back with an annoyed look while Dean continues. 

“Just... a normal life sure would make a man a lot happier. Not having to worry about whether his brother is gonna be alive the next day, or if he’s got his ass kicked in by a nest of vamps—or worry about any of his loved ones like that.” The _Cas_ is more implied.

They've talked about it, of course—Dean and Castiel. More like argued about it, though, after Dean got impaled on that rusty rebar and Castiel had come back down to Earth in a flurry of wings and anger to save him.

  
  


_“Dean Winchester, I did not pull you out of hell and sacrifice myself to the Empty for you to die like this,”_ Cas said with a look that could smite God — _heh_ —himself. 

He barely had time to say anything during the lecture he received, but after Cas pulled him off the rebar and healed him, it was his turn to yell. 

_“What the fuck, you asshole!”_ Dean had shouted like an indignant child, his hands clutching desperately at the sleeves of Castiel’s trenchcoat. 

_“You aren’t fucking dead? I saw the Empty take you, Cas!”_ Dean’s brain screamed at him. This was another trick, this was Lucifer on the phone all over again. Dean Winchester does _not_ get happy endings. Castiel hesitated at Dean’s words, avoiding eye contact. _“Jack… Well, he rescued me from the Empty. I have been helping him rebuild heaven.”_

_“And you didn't think about coming back home? To me? After all that shit you said?”_ Dean replied, hackles raised. 

Sam shifted awkwardly in the corner of the barn. 

_“You... you fucking dick. I thought you were dead!”_

_“And what about you? So carelessly throwing your life away!”_ Cas argued back, his voice raising to reach Dean’s volume. 

_“Because you were gone! Because I thought you were dead! I didn’t know what to do, Cas! I needed you.''_ Dean shouted, his hands moving from Castiel’s sleeves to curl into fist to pound against Cas’s chest. He barely flinched at Dean's punches, but his eyes were soft and his face disbelieving.

_“You...”_ he paused, unable to get his words out. Of all of the English words he learned over a millennium, he could not find the right one this time. 

_“Yes,”_ Dean says with finality. _“Me too, Cas.”_

  
  


“Dean,” Sam said with a short bark of laughter, snapping him back to reality. “I’m pretty sure even normal people worry about that too.” 

“Vamps?” 

“No—their loved ones dying. Sure, maybe theirs won’t die as soon compared to us, but statistically speaking, police officers experience the same thing, you know? Being killed in the line of duty.” 

Dean resisted groaning out loud. Fucking cop lover. 

“Besides—dead things don’t always stay dead in this life,” Sam offered with a smile, gesturing between them. Dean couldn't help but agree with him there. 

Sure, the normal hunter free life seems like sunshine and rainbows. He can even picture it—

—his dad throwing the pigskin around with him. Boy Scouts. Cas shy to ask him on their first date. School dances and graduation. Actually going to college. Getting married. Adopting some kids… just—settling down. 

So, yeah, he can see the appeal, but how many people can say they’ve fought God and won? That alone leaves a self-satisfied smile on his face and Sam heads back to pick up the cooler.

He nods over his shoulder, “c’mon. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

When they make their way to the map room, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is playing out of the speakers, and Dean takes it all in. Claire rolling her eyes at something Alex says. Kaia leaning her head against her shoulder. Patience, Alternate Charlie, and Stevie having an animated discussion. Jack happily conversing in ASL with Eileen. Alternate Bobby and Jody talking like old buddies. Hunters from all walks of life, laughing, chatting and genuinely just having a nice time. 

And there’s Cas, badly dancing with Donna to the music. He smiles when he spots Dean. 

  
  


… 

Who cares about normal? 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this and wanna give me a follow, I'm 2014apocalypse on twitter and tumblr.


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